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News & Events

Proposed Class Bylaws and Other News!

Posted: 6/9/2021

’03 Class Update:

1.  Our 20th Reunion date has been reserved for the Homecoming football game scheduled for October 7th, 2023, on Columbus Day weekend. Our dedicated VP has begun the initial coordination with the Alumni Association. Due to the pandemic and its effects on scheduling, many classes and sports have had to shift events to subsequent years, so the slate was very limited, but the process is underway to make this a grand celebration together.

2.  We need class volunteers to support the reunion – a Reunion Chairperson and a Committee – and preferably classmates who reside in the Annapolis/DC/Baltimore area. If interested, please reach out to one of the Class Officers. We are also asking for volunteers to serve as Company Reps, who will help in engagement and communications for our 20th. Reach out to our international classmates especially if you are in regular contact with them and share the date.

’03.  Please send a big wave of gratitude to our team of attorneys, Jeff Sommers and Jim Vandevoort, who led the way in drafting, critiquing, improving, and finalizing our USNA Class of 2003 Bylaws. A six-month+ effort in comparing bylaws with other classes, engaging with the Alumni Association on best practices, and most importantly, learning that we are better and more inclusive than the Whoops (they have an association of graduates only, not alumni). A PDF of the proposed bylaws will be posted on the class website for 30 days. Please read, review, and/or send comments or questions to the Executive Committee by ’03 July. We will then consolidate feedback with Jeff and Jim and publish the final version.

4.  The Council of Class Presidents (COCP) was held on 29 April. The COCP Minutes, an update from the Alumni Association & Foundation, and another update from the Superintendent will be posted to the class website for your review. The All-Alumni Survey results should be processed over the summer with a final report to be released in the fall. Thank you to those who participated.

5.  During the COCP, the results of the Board of Trustees (BOT) regional elections were announced. In the Western Region, it is the Board’s loss that Francis Ebong was not elected. I cannot thank you enough, E, for putting your hat in the ring. Your continued engagement is most appreciated as we try to make the Alumni Association a better institution. Thank you to the classmates who advocated on behalf of his candidacy. And thank you to the several other classmates whose names did not make the final ballots. Afterward, the COCP Chairman sent another survey to Class Presidents only for feedback on the BOT elections process. I did my best to highlight the advantages given to those coming from incumbent positions in the Alumni Association since the BOT approves the candidates who are permitted to run as well as a few other process issues that perpetuate the status quo.

6.  NAAA finally clarified a topic brought up by the Athletic Director during the COCP. Chet Gladchuk has proposed that each class submit five to eight names of the finest, highly accomplished athletes, who contributed in a significant way to Navy athletics and who during their time at USNA may have been under-recognized, an underdog, and/or a legend in a sport that did not get the credit he or she deserved. Chet is trying to diversify the representation for an electronic display in the new Center for Student-Athletes in Ricketts Hall. If you’re a fan of an athletic classmate, please formally submit names, a picture (if available), and justification of NMT 500 words to the Class Executive Committee by 23 Jun. NAAA is asking for a consolidated list by 30 Jun. Brainstorming here to get the conversation going: Triathlon (looking at you here, Tim O’Donnell), Boxing, Swimming, Sailing, Track & Field, Crew, Rifle and Pistol, Rugby, Women’s Club Lacrosse, or maybe even the best Fieldball player in the Brigade ever (Tad Drake). Please no entries for legendary videogame players of GTA or Rainbow 6. Please no.

7.  On Thu, 17 June, the Class Officers will hold a Blue and Gold Officer (BGO) Roundtable via Zoom for all classmates interested in conversing and sharing their past experiences as a BGO, best practices, feedback from the recent admissions cycle while still fresh in the mind, any process obstacles, etc. An Alumni Association update brief on the BGO Program will also be posted to the class website for anyone interested in the BGO Program, and we hope this forum provides a way to answer questions and increase outreach. Heather Selig, our Class Secretary, has the lead for the roundtable. Invitation to follow.

8.  Looking longer-term, our new Class Historian is Kenneth Michel, who has selflessly volunteered for this role in addition to overseeing our Shipmate submissions. Thank you, Kenneth. In concert with our 20th Reunion, the Alumni Association compiles and publishes a Class History (also, this occurs for every five-year milestone reunion). As such, please start to think about achievements across all aspects of our careers – command, citizenship, government, combat commendations – and all of the other achievements you all have made as entrepreneurs, authors, coaches, teachers, and/or any notable accolades you deem worthy of annotation. Our history is what we make of it. Please send those to Kenneth for addition to our Class History in the run-up to the reunion or relay any questions his way.

Beat Army!

-Lisa


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